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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: stick · rock · tube · saw · pitch · board · wave · key

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — a stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitch — completely
  16. board — a committee
  17. rock — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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