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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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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: swing · hand · lean · pitch · tear · ruler · stick · key

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. key — in music
  13. swing — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. hand — help
  23. lean — to bend
  24. key — the most important part

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