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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — low music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. current — of water
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mine — for digging
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chip — to eat
  18. ball — a dance
  19. row — to paddle
  20. key — in music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. current — happening now
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ball — a round shape

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