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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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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: lean · mark · pitch · mug · fork · roll · pit · chest

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mug — a face
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mark — a trace
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lean — thin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. roll — a list
  21. chest — a box
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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