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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · cabinet · charge · fall · chip · pop · rest · pitch

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. rest — a break
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pop — music
  4. charge — a price
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pop — soda
  7. charge — electricity
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fall — the season
  16. rest — what's left
  17. key — the most important part
  18. charge — in control
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pitch — completely
  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