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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 · lie · foot · pitch · ruler · net · swing · drill

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. foot — a measure
  6. swing — in golf
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — army training
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — in sport
  16. drill — a practice
  17. swing — music
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. foot — the bottom

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