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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cue — a hint
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a signal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — shares
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. coach — a trainer

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