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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitch — completely
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. season — in sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — for betting
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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