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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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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: object · branch · deal · chip · fall · game · lean · key

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — the most important part
  4. branch — a division
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fall — to drop
  13. object — to protest
  14. key — for a lock
  15. game — wild animals
  16. object — a thing
  17. deal — to handle
  18. key — in music
  19. game — a match
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. object — an aim
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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