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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.

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: content · tube · can · pitch · straw · ruler · wake · sharp

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — clever
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. content — the amount
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — with an edge

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