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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · staff · mate · can · arm · straw · bowl · chip

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — a stick

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