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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — a subject
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — farmland
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — for sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — to roll

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