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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: ball · key · fall · spring · board · club · rock · chip

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spring — the season
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — the season
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — for golf
  21. rock — music
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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