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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — the season
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. land — a country
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — for betting
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — to come down
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. land — ground
  22. track — a song
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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