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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. chip — for betting
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cap — a hat
  6. board — to get on
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chip — to eat
  10. roll — a cake
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — of ice
  14. board — a committee
  15. track — a song
  16. cap — a lid
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — a series
  21. roll — a list
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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