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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — a country
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. object — to protest
  15. perch — the fish
  16. last — finally
  17. land — to come down
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — final
  20. chip — for betting
  21. object — a thing
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. land — ground
  24. mouse — the animal

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