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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: pound · rash · bear · pitch · fork · key · fine · club

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — a series
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — in a road
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pound — a weight
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. key — for a lock
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rash — hasty
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitch — completely

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