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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: pitch · key · rock · stick · cabinet · race · saw · fan

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. key — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitch — completely
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. race — the arms race
  22. rock — a stone
  23. race — humankind
  24. saw — the tool

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