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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · kick · stick · saw · pitcher · bass · rash · bat

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. key — in music
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — a series
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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