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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. rest — what's left
  4. can — to be able to
  5. club — a group
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. craft — boats
  11. cue — for pool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rest — a break
  24. cue — a signal

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