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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 116 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spring — of water
  7. season — in sport
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. season — of the year
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spring — the season
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — for a lock
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — for betting

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