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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chip — for betting
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. scale — in music
  11. swing — music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. staff — a stick
  14. chip — to eat
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitch — completely
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. coach — a trainer

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