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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. degree — an amount
  6. roll — a cake
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — a committee
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. degree — from a university
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. board — to get on
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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