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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 116 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: board · staff · pitch · drill · pit · cell · bulb · snap

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. staff — employees
  2. board — a committee
  3. pit — a hole
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pit — in a race
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — to get on
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. drill — army training
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — completely
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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