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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chip — for betting
  3. object — a thing
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. object — to protest
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — an aim
  16. chest — a box
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hand — in cards
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wound — an injury
  24. key — the most important part

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