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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: chair · net · pound · nail · file · deal · perch · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a document
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — to handle
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — for catching
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — after costs
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. file — a tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. net — in sport

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