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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · row · plane · suit · bark · key · band · foot

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. suit — to fit
  11. key — the most important part
  12. plane — a tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. pitch — completely
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. row — to paddle
  19. suit — in cards
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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