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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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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: key · rule · saw · track · pitch · stick · chip · straw

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — a path
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — for betting
  15. track — a song
  16. rule — government
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rule — a law
  21. saw — the tool
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — to keep track

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