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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: net · pitch · key · file · pit · face · chest · pitcher

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chest — of your body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. face — to confront
  7. file — a tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pit — a hole
  12. face — part of the head
  13. net — for catching
  14. file — a document
  15. key — in music
  16. pit — in a race
  17. chest — a box
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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