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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
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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 · chip · wake · key · pop · pass · face · squash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. game — a match
  5. squash — to crush
  6. face — to confront
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. game — wild animals
  9. squash — the sport
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. chip — to eat
  18. face — part of the head
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — the most important part

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