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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: saw · key · pitch · suit · kick · fork · bat · tube

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kick — in football
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bat — the animal
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tube — a container
  20. suit — to fit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. key — in music
  24. fork — in a road

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