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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. chip — for betting
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. can — to be able to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hand — in cards
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. clip — for paper
  17. object — an aim
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. clip — a video
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. clip — to cut

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