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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — child
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — to protest
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. object — a thing
  17. court — for sport
  18. kid — to tease
  19. firm — a company
  20. court — of a king
  21. object — an aim
  22. firm — steady
  23. court — of law
  24. fork — to eat with

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