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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fall — the season
  4. court — of law
  5. cue — a hint
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — boats
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — for pool
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com