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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: toast · content · key · chest · stand · chip · land · scale

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — in music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. land — ground
  5. chest — a box
  6. content — happy
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. scale — size or range
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chest — of your body

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