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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: drill · plane · stick · rock · key · pitch · rash · spring

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. spring — the season
  12. drill — a practice
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. drill — army training
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. rock — a stone

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