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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — a hat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cap — a lid
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — to bear
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fine — all right
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — a series
  24. cap — of ice

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