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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: key · spell · pitch · roll · bass · trunk · deal · wound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. key — in music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — the most important part
  7. roll — a cake
  8. pitch — completely
  9. spell — letters
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spell — magic
  18. deal — to handle
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wound — an injury

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