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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. swing — to play on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — to get on
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. key — in music
  7. mine — for digging
  8. object — a thing
  9. swing — music
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — in cards
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. swing — in golf
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — help
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — an aim
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. chip — to eat

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