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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · degree · straw · chip · lie · pitcher · racket · trunk

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. degree — an amount
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. current — happening now
  7. chip — to eat
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — temperature
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. current — of water

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