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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. drill — the tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. ground — a position
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — army training
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. rash — a series
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chip — to eat
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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