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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: sharp · pitcher · can · straw · object · foot · swing · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cell — a phone
  8. sharp — clever
  9. object — to protest
  10. can — a tin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cell — in biology
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. swing — music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — to be able to

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