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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chip — to eat
  3. swing — in golf
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. swing — to play on
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. band — a ring
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. band — a music group
  16. chip — for betting
  17. toast — bread
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bound — certain
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — ministers

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