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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: can · deal · fine · stick · ruler · straw · pitcher · fall

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — all right
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fall — the season
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — high quality
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — dry grass

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