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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: object · pitch · key · stick · tube · degree · chip · pit

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pit — a hole
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pit — in a race
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. key — in music
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chip — to eat
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. object — to protest
  18. pitch — completely
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. degree — an amount
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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