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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: dip · rock · court · hand · stick · bound · key · chip

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. key — for a lock
  9. court — of a king
  10. hand — in cards
  11. court — for sport
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — help
  24. chip — in a computer

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