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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chip — for betting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. suit — in cards
  10. court — for sport
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ball — a dance
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ball — a great time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mine — an explosive

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