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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: nail · can · pitch · squash · roll · date · face · key

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. can — to be able to
  3. squash — to crush
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — for a lock
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a cake
  8. key — the most important part
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to confront
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. date — the fruit
  22. key — in music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. face — to point toward

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