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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. file — a document
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a line of people
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pass — a permit
  13. game — a match
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a leader
  22. file — a tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. nail — for a hammer

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