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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: pitch · sharp · lean · key · kid · rock · row · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — to tease
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lean — thin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. key — in music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. kid — child
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. row — to paddle
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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