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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: dip · wave · chip · straw · track · spell · game · march

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. march — music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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