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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 · rush · track · chip · ruler · tear · fan · straw

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tear — from crying
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. track — a song
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ruler — for measuring

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