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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — there
  4. firm — decided
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. swing — in golf
  11. staff — a stick
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — after costs
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — to eat
  16. firm — a company
  17. net — for catching
  18. staff — employees
  19. bass — low music
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. net — in sport
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bass — the fish

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