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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 · straw · staff · net · key · bank · hand · jam

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. net — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — after costs
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hand — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hand — help
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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