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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 · bass · file · race · ruler · snap · pitch · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. file — a document
  13. key — the most important part
  14. file — a tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. race — humankind
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. file — a line of people
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. race — the arms race

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