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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. track — to keep track
  3. staff — employees
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fine — all right
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. track — a song
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — for betting
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rock — music
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. fine — high quality

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