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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 116 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 · band · coach · wake · key · sharp · last · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. sharp — clever
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — finally
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a music group
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. key — the most important part
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. key — in music
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bowl — to roll

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