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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — a tin
  9. bass — the fish
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — to be able to
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cap — a hat
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — a tin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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