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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. track — a path
  5. rash — a series
  6. cue — a signal
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. track — a song
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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