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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — in sport
  4. land — ground
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — a country
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitch — completely
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — in music
  19. land — to come down
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — clever
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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