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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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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: can · straw · cabinet · hand · pitcher · stick · craft · jam

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. craft — a skill
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. craft — boats
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hand — help
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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