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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 116 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: drill · rush · key · straw · safe · scale · trunk · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. key — in music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rush — hurry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. scale — in music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. drill — the tool
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. drill — army training
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. straw — a straw man

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