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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. can — to be able to
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — a tin
  9. content — the amount
  10. tube — a container
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. bound — certain
  21. club — a group
  22. content — happy
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tube — the underground

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