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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — for betting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chip — to eat
  7. roll — a cake
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. prune — to trim
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — a list
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bound — certain

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