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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 116 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: field · mark · rest · pitcher · chip · ruler · pop · key

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chip — to eat
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a grade
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mark — a trace
  19. key — in music
  20. field — for sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rest — a break
  24. chip — in a computer

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