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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: foot · nail · land · key · chip · trunk · club · chair

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — in music
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. club — a group
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. club — for golf
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. key — the most important part
  18. club — for dancing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — a country
  21. key — for a lock
  22. chip — to eat
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — a measure

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