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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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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 · tube · race · pound · straw · chip · perch · sharp

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. race — a contest
  5. sharp — clever
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. perch — the fish
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. race — humankind
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — for betting
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. chip — to eat
  21. race — the arms race
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pound — a weight
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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