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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: perch · cabinet · face · pitch · staff · mine · chest · jam

  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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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. mine — belonging to me
  4. chest — a box
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chest — of your body
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. face — to point toward
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mine — for digging
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. face — to confront
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. perch — for a bird

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