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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 120 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: pitch · key · mark · bulb · shower · bat · deal · track

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bulb — for light
  4. shower — rain
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a song
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bat — the animal

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