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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: key · spell · current · chair · wind · spring · chip · court

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chair — a leader
  4. spring — the season
  5. chip — for betting
  6. current — happening now
  7. spell — magic
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. spring — of water
  12. current — of water
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chip — to eat
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — of law
  19. spring — a coil
  20. current — electric
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spell — letters
  23. key — in music
  24. wind — moving air

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