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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. stock — goods
  3. tube — the underground
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mark — a grade
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. stock — shares
  22. swing — to play on
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — to pay attention

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