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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 120 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. present — there
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — a gift
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — the time now
  20. shower — rain
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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