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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — electric
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bass — low music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — of water
  21. chip — for betting
  22. current — happening now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chip — to eat

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