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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 · wind · sharp · board · key · mine · wave · ball

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — to get on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wind — to turn a key

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