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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. content — happy
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. content — the amount
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — of water
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a music group
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — to bear
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — electric
  21. band — a ring
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. can — to be able to

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