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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. deal — to handle
  3. key — the most important part
  4. band — a ring
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — to breed
  14. present — there
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. band — a music group
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitch — completely

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