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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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Word bank
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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: pop · rest · dip · pit · pound · straw · staff · bulb

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. staff — employees
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pit — a hole
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pop — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — in a race
  24. straw — a straw man

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