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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: firm · chip · pit · rock · straw · clip · pitcher · staff

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. staff — employees
  5. clip — to cut
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rock — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rock — a stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. firm — steady
  19. pit — in a race
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pitcher — a jug

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