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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · key · scale · pitcher · pass · chest · chip · file

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — of your body
  3. object — to protest
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. file — a tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. chest — of your body
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chest — a box
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — an aim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — to eat
  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