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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. club — for dancing
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. spring — the season
  7. club — a group
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. club — for golf
  16. can — a tin
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. current — of water
  22. chip — to eat
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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