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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: cap · chip · patient · stand · stick · straw · squash · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. track — a path
  5. cap — a lid
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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