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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 · straw · pitch · pit · suit · rock · date · firm

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. suit — to fit
  7. date — the fruit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — decided
  11. pit — in a race
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — a stone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. firm — a company
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pit — a hole
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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