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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. roll — a cake
  5. swing — in golf
  6. roll — a list
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stock — goods
  16. can — a tin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — shares
  20. swing — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bowl — a football final

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