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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 · jam · suit · stand · hand · degree · toast · chip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — an amount
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hand — help
  8. toast — bread
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. degree — temperature
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chip — for betting
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chip — to eat

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