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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · land · bound · key · content · foot · chip · craft

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — to come down
  3. chip — for betting
  4. content — happy
  5. foot — a measure
  6. land — a country
  7. bound — obliged
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. key — for a lock
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — ground
  14. chip — to eat
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. craft — a skill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. key — in music
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — certain
  24. bound — tied together

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