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

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. spring — the season
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. deal — to handle
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spring — a coil
  24. deal — an agreement

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