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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: suit · lean · last · pit · chip · foot · pitcher · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. bound — tied together
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — a hole
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. suit — to fit
  12. last — to go on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  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