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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — in music
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wake — a trail
  9. root — of a plant
  10. field — farmland
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — help
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — for betting
  21. root — of a word
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chip — to eat
  24. root — the cause

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