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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rock — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chip — for betting
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. degree — temperature
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — from a university

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