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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. race — a contest
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — to breed
  10. chip — for betting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — for golf
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. race — the arms race
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. race — humankind
  22. chip — to eat
  23. club — a group
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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