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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. capital — money
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rule — government
  7. drill — army training
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. craft — a skill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — a stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rock — music

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