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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 124 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: key · cue · rule · present · pitch · tear

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. tear — to rip
  3. present — a gift
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — the time now
  6. cue — a signal
  7. key — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. tear — from crying

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