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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: staff · tube · pass · pitch · jam · land · chip · suit

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — in cards
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. land — a country
  16. suit — to fit
  17. staff — employees
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. suit — clothes

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