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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
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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: chair · mark · key · land · ball · season · trunk · pitch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. season — of the year
  17. ball — a great time
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. key — in music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a trace
  23. ball — a dance
  24. key — the most important part

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