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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: chip · scale · chair · safe · key · kick · staff · mark

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — in football
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chip — to eat
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. mark — a grade
  22. scale — in music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. key — in music

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