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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pop — music
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. chip — for betting
  8. firm — steady
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — decided
  14. pop — soda
  15. chest — a box
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. spell — a short time
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. craft — boats
  23. board — to get on
  24. firm — a company

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