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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 120 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.

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 · hand · key · pitch · coach · stick · sharp · mate

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hand — help
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. key — in music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — a trainer

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