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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. clip — to cut
  14. game — a match
  15. board — to get on
  16. game — wild animals
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. key — in music
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — a strongbox

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