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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: bulb · pitch · press · firm · pit · cabinet · stick · cap

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — to push
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. firm — a company
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cap — of ice
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — decided

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