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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chip — for betting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — in cards
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spell — letters
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chip — to eat
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. chest — of your body
  24. suit — clothes

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