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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: object · jam · pit · key · pitch · cue · file · bowl

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. file — a document
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — for pool
  9. key — in music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pit — a hole
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pit — in a race
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — a thing
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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