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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: pitch · key · bound · stock · pitcher · rock · craft · coach

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rock — a stone
  5. craft — a skill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rock — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bound — tied together
  11. craft — boats
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — shares
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stock — goods
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. key — in music

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