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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — in cards
  5. capital — a city
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — help
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. swing — music
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. present — there
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. can — to be able to
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. swing — in golf
  24. capital — money

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