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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: suit · date · content · chip · key · pitch · straw · bound

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. pitch — completely
  3. key — the most important part
  4. content — happy
  5. key — in music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. suit — to fit
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. content — the amount
  13. chip — to eat
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — for a lock
  24. date — on the calendar

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