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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: last · board · rash · stock · chip · key · shower · jam

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. shower — rain
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. board — to get on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. key — in music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. last — finally
  14. chip — for betting
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stock — goods
  18. last — final
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — shares
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rash — a series
  24. last — to go on

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