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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · staff · straw · chip · court · key · fan · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. key — for a lock
  3. court — of a king
  4. suit — in cards
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — in music
  8. snap — to click
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — employees
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. court — of law
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — for sport
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. staff — a stick

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