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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — ground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. game — a match
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — to eat
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. chip — for betting
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chair — a leader

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