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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: pitch · wound · bass · fork · foot · object · current · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — for a lock
  14. object — a thing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bass — low music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fork — in a road
  21. current — happening now
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitch — completely
  24. foot — the bottom

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