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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. board — to get on
  3. chip — for betting
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a committee
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — to eat
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. key — in music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. racket — a loud noise

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