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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: band · bulb · row · chip · bark · wind · key · pitch

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. bark — to shout
  6. key — for a lock
  7. band — a ring
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a music group
  24. bulb — for light

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