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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: chest · fork · key · track · chip · safe · pitch · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pitch — completely
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. key — the most important part
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. sharp — clever
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chest — a box
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fork — in a road
  23. chip — for betting
  24. track — a path

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