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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: game · fine · key · chest · mug · straw · board · jam

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. key — the most important part
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. key — for a lock
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. chest — of your body
  9. key — in music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — to rob
  13. board — a committee
  14. mug — a face
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mug — a cup
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. chest — a box
  20. game — a match
  21. board — to get on
  22. fine — high quality
  23. chest — of your body
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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