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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · straw · bank · capital · chip · patient · fine · press

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. fine — all right
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bank — for money
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — high quality
  18. capital — money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. press — to push
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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