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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: plane · cabinet · pit · chair · staff · present · cell · pitch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pit — a hole
  4. present — there
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pit — in a race
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — the time now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. plane — a tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cell — a phone
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. chair — a professorship

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