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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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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: pop · key · tube · jam · straw · game · fan · deal

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — to handle
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — to visit
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. game — a match
  24. tube — in a tire

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