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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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468
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: file · tear · key · chip · board · capital · rock · pitcher

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. capital — a city
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tear — from crying
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — a committee
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — to get on
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — for betting
  21. capital — money
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a tool
  24. rock — music

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