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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kid — child
  4. season — in sport
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pound — a weight
  7. season — of the year
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kid — to tease
  13. object — an aim
  14. suit — in cards
  15. object — to protest
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pop — soda
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pop — music

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