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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chip — to eat
  4. ground — the earth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. vault — a safe
  14. row — to paddle
  15. key — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — a committee
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. foot — a measure
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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