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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chair — a leader
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — to handle
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. tube — the underground
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — happy
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — a container

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