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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: tube · can · stick · stock · swing · straw · toast · chest

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stock — shares
  10. toast — bread
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — a tin
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. swing — music
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stock — goods
  22. swing — in golf
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stock — a soup base

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