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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: last · spring · pitcher · band · ball · jam · pitch · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a great time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spring — a coil
  10. band — a music group
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. key — for a lock
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — of water
  18. band — a ring
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. spring — the season
  24. jam — a tight spot

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