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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: bass · pitch · mark · rule · chip · key · race · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bass — low music
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rule — a law
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chip — to eat
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chip — for betting
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. key — in music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rule — government
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bass — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. race — humankind

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