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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. current — electric
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cue — for pool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pop — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — soda
  13. bark — to shout
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a hint
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pop — to visit
  19. current — of water
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. current — happening now
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pound — to hit hard

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