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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — to play on
  7. present — a gift
  8. rule — a law
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. present — the time now
  15. rule — government
  16. present — there
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. swing — in golf
  23. chip — for betting
  24. coach — a trainer

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