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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. stock — shares
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bat — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — a group
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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