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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · mate · can · pitch · key · field · saw · kid

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kid — to tease
  5. key — in music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rock — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — the most important part

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