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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mine — for digging
  10. roll — a list
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. field — farmland
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — for sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. field — a subject
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. board — to get on
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. roll — a cake

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