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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 120 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: object · straw · nail · stock · saw · perch · pop · pound

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pound — a weight
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — soda
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stock — shares
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — goods
  10. pop — music
  11. object — a thing
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. object — an aim
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pop — to visit
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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