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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. staff — employees
  3. tube — the underground
  4. suit — to fit
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — the fish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. game — a match
  16. staff — employees
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. suit — in cards

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