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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 116 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: trunk · board · court · chip · lie · pit · land · key

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. court — for sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — to come down
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — to recline
  16. land — ground
  17. pit — in a race
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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