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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.

Make a worksheet

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: key · tube · pitch · rest · chip · game · rash · saw

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — to eat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — for betting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — the most important part
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rash — on the skin

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