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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. field — for sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — a subject
  12. stand — to bear
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — farmland
  20. rest — a break
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. prune — to trim

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