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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — there
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. board — to get on
  6. cue — a signal
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ground — a position
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — crushed
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. chip — for betting
  17. board — a committee
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — a hint
  20. content — happy
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cue — for pool
  23. key — in music
  24. content — the amount

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