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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.

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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: key · fall · object · pitch · leaves · deal · craft · nail

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. craft — boats
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. object — to protest
  12. pitch — completely
  13. object — an aim
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — a thing
  24. fall — the season

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