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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: pound · mate · straw · deal · can · march · file · mouse

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mate — a friend
  17. can — a tin
  18. march — music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — the month
  24. deal — a big deal

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