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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of law
  3. mug — a cup
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mug — a face
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. court — of a king
  16. drill — army training
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. drill — the tool
  22. toast — bread
  23. court — for sport
  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