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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — the season
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. fall — to drop
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ground — a position
  13. cell — in biology
  14. key — in music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ground — crushed
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fall — to drop
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — to get on
  24. key — for a lock

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