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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 · band · chip · pitch · staff · hide · tear · rest

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chip — to eat
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — a break
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. staff — a stick
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. key — in music
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. staff — employees
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — completely
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a music group
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chip — for betting

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