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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — a weight
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. capital — a city
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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