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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. board — to get on
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. board — a committee
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. hand — in cards
  9. track — to keep track
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. track — a path
  19. key — in music
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. hand — help
  22. track — a song
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cell — a phone

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