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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: pitch · saw · rush · key · game · roll · hand · file

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. hand — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. roll — a cake
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. file — a document
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. file — a tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hand — help
  20. game — a match
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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