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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: pitch · bass · shower · coach · bound · rest · lean · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. shower — rain
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — the fish
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rest — a break

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