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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — electric
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. court — of law
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. current — of water
  23. court — for sport
  24. leaves — to go away

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