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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 120 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
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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: pitcher · cell · straw · chip · dip · rush · board · stand

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — for betting
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to sink
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. board — to get on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stand — to bear

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