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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. key — for a lock
  7. club — for golf
  8. key — the most important part
  9. club — a group
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wake — a trail
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. band — a ring
  24. bat — the animal

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