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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: bound · pitch · staff · pit · deal · nail · file · leaves

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pit — in a race
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bound — obliged
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a document
  17. pit — a hole
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bound — certain
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitch — a sports field

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