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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: rock · press · current · chip · pass · pitch · stick · content

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. pass — a permit
  7. content — happy
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. current — electric
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rock — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. current — of water
  20. rock — a stone
  21. current — happening now
  22. content — the amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — for betting

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