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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — child
  8. swing — music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. key — in music
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — of law
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — of a king
  24. pound — for dogs

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