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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: wind · stem · sharp · key · leaves · nail · pitch · vault

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stem — to come from
  3. vault — a safe
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitch — completely
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. key — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. key — for a lock

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