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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bound — obliged
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stock — shares
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rest — what's left
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stock — goods
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. mine — for digging

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