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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: pitch · fine · hand · bank · key · plane · kick · straw

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bank — of a river
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — in football
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fine — all right
  21. key — in music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitch — completely
  24. key — for a lock

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