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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — a safe
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — a match
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rest — a break
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — to eat

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