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

Word bank: cue · craft · mate · straw · bass · cell · bear · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bass — low music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cell — a phone
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — the fish

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