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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. swing — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. roll — a list
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — boats
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. race — a contest
  23. mine — for digging
  24. chip — in a computer

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