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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: shower · board · jam · straw · firm · march · saw · chip

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — the month
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. shower — to wash
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. march — music
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. shower — rain
  19. chip — for betting
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. board — a committee
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. firm — steady
  24. board — a flat piece

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