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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · key · game · hand · bore · chest

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chest — a box
  4. game — wild animals
  5. key — in music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. board — a committee
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chest — of your body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — help
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — in cards

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