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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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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 · stick · cap · racket · bay · key · fork · bass

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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