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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: pit · stock · rash · bass · straw · press · ground · chip

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pit — in a race
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bass — low music
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — a position
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chip — for betting

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