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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: wax · chip · racket · pitch · shower · cabinet · stand · straw

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitch — completely

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