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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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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: key · racket · snap · safe · bat · pop · chip · object

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. object — an aim
  6. pop — to visit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. object — a thing
  11. chip — for betting
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chip — to eat
  21. object — to protest
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. key — in music
  24. bat — the animal

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