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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: nail · wake · club · board · chip · court · staff · deal

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. club — for golf
  3. board — a committee
  4. club — a group
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — of a king
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — for sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — of law
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. staff — a stick
  17. board — to get on
  18. staff — employees
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chip — to eat
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wake — before a funeral

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