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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. object — to protest
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pass — a permit
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. object — an aim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. object — a thing
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ground — a position
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. saw — the tool

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