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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: fork · swing · key · bulb · chip · staff · present · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. present — there
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pitch — completely
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. present — a gift
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — the time now
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — in golf
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — in a road
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — for betting

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