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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.

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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. last — finally
  3. key — the most important part
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. season — of the year
  8. dip — to sink
  9. season — in sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — in music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — to eat
  19. last — to go on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chip — for betting
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. last — final

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