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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — help
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — in a road
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to

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