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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: key · board · bass · chip · cabinet · land · coach · foot

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. board — to get on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. key — for a lock
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. land — to come down
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — a flat piece

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