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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — a committee
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. chip — for betting
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hand — help
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — in cards
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick

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