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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. track — a path
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chest — of your body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. chip — to eat
  7. track — to keep track
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. track — a song
  10. stock — shares
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — a group
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chest — a box
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stock — goods
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — for golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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