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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: hide · ball · suit · pitch · key · sharp · saw · wound

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. suit — clothes
  14. saw — the tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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