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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: key · pitch · toast · file · bore · swing · spell · bank

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a tool
  4. swing — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitch — completely
  10. spell — a short time
  11. swing — to play on
  12. key — in music
  13. spell — magic
  14. key — for a lock
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — bread
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — for money

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