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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mark — a grade
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — in cards
  7. scale — in music
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mark — a trace
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. suit — clothes
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. snap — to click
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mark — to pay attention

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