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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: rash · deal · kick · pitch · sharp · game · squash · key

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a match
  4. key — in music
  5. squash — the sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pitch — completely
  9. deal — to handle
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. game — wild animals
  23. key — the most important part
  24. kick — in football

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