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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: current · stick · pitch · bore · suit · chest · chip · pit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chest — a box
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — clothes
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pit — a hole
  10. current — of water
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitch — a sports field

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