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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: mouse · key · spell · pitch · foot · firm · straw · field

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. firm — a company
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — the most important part
  6. field — farmland
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. firm — decided
  11. spell — magic
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. field — for sport
  14. key — in music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spell — letters
  18. field — a subject
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitch — completely

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