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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. perch — the fish
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. charge — electricity
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wake — a trail

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