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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fine — all right
  4. can — a tin
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — low music
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — in sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. track — a path
  14. sharp — clever
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — completely
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. net — after costs

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