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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. squash — to crush
  3. fork — in a road
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chip — to eat
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — for betting
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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