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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bark — to shout
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cap — a lid
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cap — of ice
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — electricity
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chip — for betting

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