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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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468
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: land · pit · march · key · wave · staff · saw · pitch

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  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. staff — employees
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — ground
  11. key — in music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. march — the month
  14. land — a country
  15. saw — the tool
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pit — in a race
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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