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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: pitch · straw · mug · key · bulb · club · file · hide

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — the most important part
  3. file — a line of people
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. club — for golf
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — a group
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mug — a face
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mug — a cup
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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