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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 120 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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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: mark · chip · kid · fork · key · deal · rush · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a committee
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. key — in music
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. deal — an agreement

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