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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — help
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hand — in cards
  9. band — a music group
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. season — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. band — a ring
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a rubber band

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