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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stock — goods
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — a series
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. court — of a king
  10. rash — hasty
  11. chip — to eat
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — shares
  19. court — of law
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chip — for betting
  22. toast — bread
  23. can — to be able to
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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