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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — for betting
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. club — for golf
  13. rest — a break
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — to wash
  18. club — a group
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — what's left

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