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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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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: row · pound · ground · toast · game · bore · straw · march

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. game — a match
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. row — to paddle
  9. game — wild animals
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bore — to drill
  15. toast — bread
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. march — music
  24. pound — a weight

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