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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · pitch · key · bark · craft · spell

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. hand — help
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. key — in music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — boats
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. key — the most important part
  18. spell — magic

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