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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.

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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: stand · key · band · straw · cue · nail · chip · present

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — a hint
  4. present — there
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chip — for betting
  13. present — the time now
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a music group
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — for pool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. present — a gift

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