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

Word bank: ground · fall · net · chip · bay · arm · straw · foot

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. fall — the season
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — crushed
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — a position
  24. net — in sport

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