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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: roll · pitch · can · mark · current · land · dip · chest

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — electric
  4. chest — a box
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — of water
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — ground
  9. mark — a grade
  10. land — a country
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. land — to come down
  14. mark — a trace
  15. roll — a cake
  16. current — happening now
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — completely
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. can — a tin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. chest — of your body

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