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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: chip · bear · foot · mug · staff · bat · key · net

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — after costs
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — a stick
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. net — for catching
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — the animal

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