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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 120 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: chest · can · pitch · rest · cabinet · key · drill · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — to be able to
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. drill — army training
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — crushed
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rest — a break
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitch — completely
  24. key — the most important part

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