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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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 — a straw man
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bound — certain
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — music
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. club — a group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. club — for dancing
  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