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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — to eat with

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