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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: track · suit · snap · pitch · cold · chest · current · bank

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — to fit
  4. current — of water
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — a box
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. track — to keep track
  10. snap — to click
  11. current — happening now
  12. track — a path
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — for money
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — electric
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. suit — in cards

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