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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. branch — a division
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stock — shares
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stock — goods
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pop — soda
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pop — music
  23. straw — a straw man
  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