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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 · rest · bay · rash · bass · mark · file · pitch

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. bass — low music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. key — for a lock
  4. file — a document
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. file — a tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rest — a break
  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