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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — a hat
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. club — for dancing
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. club — for golf
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. club — a group
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. chip — for betting
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cap — a lid
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. mine — an explosive

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