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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · bass · pitcher · game · key · nail · chip · ball

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — the most important part
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chip — to eat
  9. game — a match
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bass — the fish
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. track — a path
  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