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

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — to eat
  5. board — to get on
  6. chip — for betting
  7. content — happy
  8. content — the amount
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. band — a ring
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. board — a committee
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — clever
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — to tire
  24. can — a tin

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