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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: straw · arm · chip · swing · spring · stock · pitch · bore

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — to play on
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. spring — of water
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spring — the season
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stock — goods
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chip — for betting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. arm — part of the body

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