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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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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: stick · key · deal · pitch · wound · wave · saw · pop

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — in music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pop — to visit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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