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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: racket · board · bat · club · staff · key · prune · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. board — a committee
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — a group
  11. bat — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. key — for a lock
  17. club — for golf
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. key — the most important part

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