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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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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: mouse · club · straw · pitcher · racket · lean · pound · cue

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. pound — a weight
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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