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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. charge — in control
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — clever
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pound — a weight
  12. charge — a price
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — a straw man

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