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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: chest · straw · jam · cue · pitch · rest · current · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cue — a hint
  5. current — happening now
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — to fit
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. chest — of your body
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. current — electric

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