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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chip — for betting
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. track — a song
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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