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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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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 · snap · pit · pitch · key · date · board · ball

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. key — the most important part
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — to get on
  11. snap — to click
  12. chest — of your body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ball — a dance
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chest — of your body
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — a committee
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ball — a great time
  24. board — a flat piece

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