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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. firm — decided
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. firm — a company
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. swing — music
  9. firm — steady
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. craft — a skill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — to play on
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. craft — boats
  19. land — a country
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chip — for betting
  22. land — to come down
  23. chip — to eat
  24. toast — bread

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