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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: chip · field · lie · file · bass · arm · racket · key

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. key — for a lock
  4. field — for sport
  5. bass — the fish
  6. file — a document
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — the most important part
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. chip — to eat
  21. field — farmland
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chip — for betting
  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