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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: stick · pitch · mark · chip · rash · racket · tear · key

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. key — the most important part
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tear — to rip
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chip — for betting
  8. key — in music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. tear — from crying

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