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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: snap · key · toast · roll · suit · pitch · face · rash

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. toast — bread
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rash — a series
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rash — hasty
  9. key — for a lock
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. suit — to fit
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. face — to point toward
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. snap — to click
  18. key — in music
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. roll — a list
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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