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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. march — music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chip — for betting
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. swing — in golf
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. chip — to eat
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. march — the month

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