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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. sharp — clever
  13. prune — to trim
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ground — the earth
  18. band — a ring
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ground — a position
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. prune — to trim

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