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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rock — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wake — a trail
  24. ball — a dance

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