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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: chip · stick · pass · chest · track · kick · bulb · pitch

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chest — a box
  10. track — a path
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. track — a song
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kick — in football

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