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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — to get on
  5. spell — magic
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. kick — in football
  9. board — a committee
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. chip — to eat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — for a lock
  17. branch — a division
  18. chest — a box
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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