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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 120 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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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 · foot · key · mark · swing · drill · fork · suit

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — the tool
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. key — for a lock
  11. drill — a practice
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. suit — in cards
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. suit — clothes
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. key — in music
  22. swing — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. drill — army training

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