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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. chip — to eat
  6. roll — a list
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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