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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · hand · chip · pitch · saw · staff · bark · key

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hand — help
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — to eat
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. fork — in a road
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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