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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 124 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. drill — army training
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. drill — the tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. can — a tin
  19. fine — high quality
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. key — for a lock
  24. drill — a practice

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