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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pass — a permit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. can — a tin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — for betting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bat — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — to be able to
  18. key — for a lock
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — a division

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