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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 120 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: fine · chip · key · pit · object · cold · board · charge

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. key — the most important part
  5. board — to get on
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. fine — all right
  11. object — a thing
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — in control
  15. chip — for betting
  16. pit — a hole
  17. key — in music
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — to eat
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. charge — a price

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