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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — magic
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rule — a law
  9. object — an aim
  10. rule — government
  11. drill — army training
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. swing — in golf
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. swing — to play on
  18. chip — to eat
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — of law
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. swing — music

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