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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 120 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 · pit · track · straw · deal · rest · game · last

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — wild animals
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a path
  12. game — a match
  13. track — a song
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — a break
  17. pit — a hole
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — to keep track
  23. last — to go on
  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