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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 116 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: ground · cabinet · file · pitch · rock · pit · bowl · mark

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. file — a document
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ground — a position
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rock — music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rock — a stone
  24. file — a tool

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