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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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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: chip · perch · toast · ground · key · board · clip · ruler

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. clip — to cut
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chip — to eat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — a video
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. key — for a lock
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — a position
  22. board — to get on
  23. chip — for betting
  24. clip — for paper

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