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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · bay · nail · arm · bear · cap · chip · racket

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chip — for betting
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cap — of ice
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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