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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — to eat
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. field — farmland
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — for pool
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. field — a subject
  19. fine — all right
  20. cue — a hint
  21. field — for sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. branch — of a tree

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