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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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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: stand · can · ball · swing · straw · stick · wind · root

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — in golf
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a word
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. straw — dry grass

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