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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — in music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — a company
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — decided
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — with an edge

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