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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. scale — in music
  3. suit — to fit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. can — to be able to
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — in cards
  11. current — happening now
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. capital — a city
  15. stock — goods
  16. capital — money
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — electric
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — of water
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. stock — shares
  24. nail — for a hammer

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