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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: straw · game · chair · ruler · suit · jam · track · chip

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. suit — clothes
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a song
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. track — to keep track
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. track — a path
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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