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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. row — a line
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chip — to eat
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. cue — a hint
  13. track — a path
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wind — moving air
  16. row — to paddle
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. ball — a great time

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