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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: mark · roll · racket · pitch · face · toast · drill · key

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mark — a trace
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — to confront
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. roll — a cake
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. face — part of the head
  15. drill — a practice
  16. face — to point toward
  17. roll — a list
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mark — a grade
  20. drill — army training
  21. toast — bread
  22. drill — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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