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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. firm — steady
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — decided
  22. file — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — to eat

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