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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mine — for digging
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fork — in a road
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. prune — to trim
  14. can — a tin
  15. stock — goods
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. stock — shares
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. hide — to keep secret

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