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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.

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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. can — a tin
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. object — an aim
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stock — shares
  13. rash — hasty
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mate — to breed
  17. object — to protest
  18. wake — a trail
  19. object — a thing
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. 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