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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. firm — a company
  8. chip — for betting
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — steady
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. firm — decided
  13. chip — to eat
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bore — to tire
  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