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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: file · chip · content · cap · rock · pitcher · rule · straw

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rock — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — a stone
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — a lid
  13. file — a document
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cap — a hat
  20. content — happy
  21. rule — government
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. straw — dry grass
  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