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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: toast · mug · bore · stand · pitcher · straw · snap · chip

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. toast — bread
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chip — to eat
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mug — a face
  24. snap — to click

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