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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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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 · pit · key · pop · pitcher · tear · bass · arm

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. key — in music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the fish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pop — soda
  22. snap — to click
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — music

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