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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hand · pitch · bear · charge · pound · bound · mark · straw

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bear — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bear — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mark — to pay attention

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