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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — the amount
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — to be able to
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. capital — money

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