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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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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: net · rash · suit · rock · pop · swing · straw · content

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pop — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — the amount
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rash — a series
  12. suit — in cards
  13. net — in sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rock — a stone
  16. suit — clothes
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rash — hasty
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pop — soda
  21. content — happy
  22. rock — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. swing — music

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