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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: key · shower · hand · mark · ground · chip · mate · club

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chip — to eat
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. key — in music
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — rain
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chip — for betting
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ground — a position
  22. hand — help
  23. key — the most important part
  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