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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: can · chair · pitch · file · roll · firm · key · pit

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. roll — a list
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. firm — decided
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. firm — steady
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. file — a document
  15. key — for a lock
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pit — a hole
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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