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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — a country
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chip — to eat
  7. wind — moving air
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. land — ground
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. land — to come down
  24. bear — the animal

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