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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 120 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: firm · deal · pitch · fall · mate · sharp · bore · key

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. firm — a company
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — steady
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — clever
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. firm — decided

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