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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — after costs
  13. dip — to sink
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chip — to eat
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. net — for catching
  24. bowl — a football final

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