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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. cue — a hint
  4. charge — in control
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — a price
  10. cap — a hat
  11. branch — a division
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — to eat
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — a subject
  20. chip — for betting
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. cap — of ice
  24. roll — a list

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