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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. swing — music
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fine — all right
  23. swing — to play on
  24. straw — dry grass

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