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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. can — a tin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bear — the animal
  18. swing — music
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — exactly

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