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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. content — the amount
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spell — a short time
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — letters
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. chip — to eat
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — happy
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. spell — magic
  20. board — to get on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — in a computer

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