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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.

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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: pass · firm · pit · field · chip · straw

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chip — to eat
  3. field — farmland
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — a permit
  8. field — a subject
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. firm — a company
  12. pit — in a race
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — a hole
  18. field — for sport

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