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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 120 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: rash · chip · key · hand · pitch · straw · plane · cap

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. hand — help
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pitch — completely
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — the most important part
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rash — a series
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rash — hasty
  21. chip — to eat
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cap — a lid

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