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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 120 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: current · straw · ruler · pit · chest · tear · pitcher · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. current — electric
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. current — of water
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. suit — in cards
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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