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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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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: chip · coach · stick · straw · rock · pit · kid · wind

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chip — for betting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chip — to eat
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kid — child
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. kid — to tease

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