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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ball — a great time
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. ball — a dance
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — to eat
  19. firm — steady
  20. stand — to bear
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — for betting

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