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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: spell · pass · hand · game · pitch · current · chip · straw

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — of water
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — help
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — magic
  12. current — electric
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. chip — in a computer

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