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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. object — to protest
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rush — hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stock — goods
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stock — shares
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. object — an aim
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. chip — to eat
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — a tin
  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