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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · can · pop · stock · lean · chip · date · straw

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. lean — to bend
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pop — soda
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pop — music
  13. stock — shares
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chip — to eat
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  24. date — on the calendar

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