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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: wound · snap · pitch · suit · key · patient · foot · game

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. foot — a measure
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — completely
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. suit — to fit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — in cards
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. suit — clothes
  20. key — in music
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wound — an injury

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