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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: foot · rock · saw · land · wave · pitch · key · rest

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — the most important part
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — completely
  11. rock — music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — ground
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. land — a country
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — a measure
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — what's left

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