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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: fan · suit · track · straw · chip · toast · stick · court

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. track — a path
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — of law
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. court — for sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. track — a song
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. court — of a king
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. suit — to fit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — clothes

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