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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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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: snap · chip · cabinet · pitch · key · lie · degree · can

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — to be able to
  4. key — in music
  5. chip — for betting
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — to recline
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chip — to eat
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lie — an untruth

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