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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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Word bank
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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: roll · court · pound · wake · cabinet · straw · track · chip

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wake — a trail
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — a song
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. court — for sport
  18. track — a path
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. court — of a king
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. track — to keep track

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