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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 120 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. spell — letters
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. band — a music group
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spell — magic
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cue — a hint
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. key — in music
  20. cue — for pool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. cue — a signal
  24. nail — on a finger

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