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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: roll · chip · fan · key · pound · pitch · sharp · row

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. roll — a cake
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. row — a line
  10. key — in music
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — to eat

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