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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: spell · lie · dip · pitch · key · board · game · prune

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — for a lock
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. spell — a short time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. key — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spell — letters
  23. board — a committee
  24. lie — to recline

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