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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. rest — a break
  3. bear — the animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — for betting
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bulb — for light

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