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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: arm · key · pop · bulb · pitch · fall · net · chip

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pop — to visit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pop — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — completely
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pop — soda
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  24. key — in 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