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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chip · bear · stem · clip · march · trunk · board

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. march — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. clip — for paper
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — to eat
  9. march — the month
  10. key — in music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. board — to get on
  13. clip — to cut
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. march — the month
  21. board — a committee
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. key — for a lock

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