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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · chest · staff · can · wound · pitch · degree · drill

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — employees
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — the tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. degree — temperature
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — in music
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. key — the most important part
  19. drill — army training
  20. degree — an amount
  21. staff — a stick
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — for a lock

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