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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 120 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: fork · pitch · charge · season · key · racket · face · straw

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitch — completely
  5. key — the most important part
  6. face — to point toward
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. charge — a price
  9. season — of the year
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — for a lock
  15. face — to confront
  16. charge — electricity
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. key — in music
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — in a road

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