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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — in football
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. firm — decided
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. court — of a king
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — for sport
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — for betting

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