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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: perch · board · roll · chip · field · key · deal · bear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. board — to get on
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — the fish
  12. field — a subject
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — farmland
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — for sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. roll — a cake
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. deal — an agreement

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