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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · kick · rash · pound · net · straw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kick — in football
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. net — after costs
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — a series
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. kick — a thrill

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