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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 · plane · pitch · cue · bound · hand · current · chip

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. plane — a tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. current — happening now
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — tied together
  7. current — electric
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hand — help
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bound — obliged
  15. roll — a cake
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bound — certain

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