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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 116 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: present · pitch · face · bore · chair · suit · hide · pit

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. suit — clothes
  7. present — the time now
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chair — a leader
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — there
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. face — to confront

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