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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. capital — a city
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pound — a weight
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. capital — money

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