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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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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: pop · lie · key · board · chip · swing · race · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — from crying
  4. swing — to play on
  5. race — the arms race
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — a contest
  8. key — the most important part
  9. race — humankind
  10. tear — to rip
  11. key — in music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pop — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — for betting
  19. board — a committee
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chip — to eat
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  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