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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · bulb · pitch · coach · key · land · wound · pass

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cold — not warm
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wound — an injury
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. land — to come down
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — in music
  22. land — ground
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. key — the most important part

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