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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: fine · mate · chip · board · bulb · mine · pitcher · straw

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. board — to get on
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — for betting
  13. board — a committee
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — for digging
  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