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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chip — for betting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. staff — employees
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stock — shares
  12. bat — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. staff — employees

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