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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.

Words on the sheet
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: field · key · pop · sharp · staff · object · chip · face

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — soda
  3. chip — to eat
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — to visit
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. object — to protest
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — a subject
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — to confront
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pop — music
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. key — for a lock
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. key — the most important part
  23. field — for sport
  24. face — to point toward

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