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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pop — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. object — a thing
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — a gift
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mine — for digging
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pop — soda
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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