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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 116 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 · face · lean · nail · hand · bark · key · can

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lean — to bend
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — a tin
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. can — to be able to
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. lean — thin
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — part of the body

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