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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: file · spell · key · wind · pop · pitch · ball · cabinet

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — music
  3. file — a document
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pop — soda
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitch — completely
  20. file — a tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — a short time

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