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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: pitcher · pitch · key · rule · bay · plane · pound · chair

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rule — government
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitch — completely
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — in music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. rule — a law
  22. pound — a weight
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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