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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pop — music
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

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