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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: pitch · stick · pit · chip · race · suit · coach · kid

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. suit — clothes
  5. race — a contest
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — the arms race
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — humankind
  14. chip — for betting
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pit — a hole
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kid — to tease
  22. pit — in a race
  23. kid — child
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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