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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chip — to eat
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. date — the fruit
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pop — to visit
  14. toast — bread
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. squash — to crush
  21. craft — boats
  22. pop — music
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. straw — a straw man

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