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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · current · straw · pitcher · row · snap · can · march

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. deal — to handle
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. can — to be able to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. snap — to click
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. march — the month
  24. current — of water

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