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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: pitch · chip · stick · swing · date · arm · bore · rock

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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