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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: key · lie · pitch · last · mine · track · nail · rash

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. track — to keep track
  5. last — finally
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. last — to go on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. key — the most important part
  23. track — a path
  24. key — in music

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