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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: snap · jam · pitch · field · key · pit · hide · leaves

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. field — a subject
  3. key — the most important part
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — in music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. snap — to click
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. field — farmland
  23. pit — in a race
  24. field — for sport

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