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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.

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: pitch · mate · band · face · rash · rock · shower · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. band — a ring
  3. rock — a stone
  4. key — in music
  5. shower — rain
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rock — music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. pitch — completely
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — to move gently

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