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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: pitch · land · safe · present · lie · club · cabinet · chair

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — ground
  3. present — a gift
  4. land — to come down
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — there
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. club — a group
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — to recline
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. club — for golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for dancing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chair — a leader
  24. land — a country

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