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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: craft · pop · pitch · hand · hide · key · chip · bound

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bound — certain
  3. pop — music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. key — in music
  6. hand — help
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pop — soda
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. craft — boats
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hand — in cards
  22. key — the most important part
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hide — animal skin

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