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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: pitch · stick · squash · current · chip · suit · race · roll

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. current — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. suit — to fit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. race — a contest
  7. roll — a cake
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. roll — a list
  14. chip — to eat
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — electric
  17. race — the arms race
  18. suit — in cards
  19. current — happening now
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. suit — clothes
  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