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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — in music
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. net — for catching
  10. bass — the fish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. net — after costs
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. roll — a list
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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