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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — newspapers
  4. drill — army training
  5. mug — a cup
  6. drill — a practice
  7. game — a match
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. chip — to eat
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mug — a face
  12. club — a group
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. press — a publisher
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. game — wild animals
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. press — to push

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