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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — in music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. present — there
  6. key — the most important part
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. present — the time now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chip — to eat
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. cell — a phone
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. key — for a lock
  20. snap — to click
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. board — a committee

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