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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: safe · pit · pitch · face · press · game · rock · key

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. face — to confront
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. key — in music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to point toward
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. press — to push
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — newspapers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — part of the head

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