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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: pitcher · wind · key · game · board · foot · present · stick

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. key — the most important part
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — there
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — the time now
  11. foot — a measure
  12. key — in music
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — wild animals
  19. present — a gift
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. game — a match

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