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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.

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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 · fall · chip · race · pitch · content · mark · tear

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. key — in music
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — for a lock
  7. race — the arms race
  8. content — happy
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — a contest
  13. mark — a trace
  14. fall — the season
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. content — the amount
  18. race — humankind
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chip — to eat
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitch — completely

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