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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — for betting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — to handle
  10. key — for a lock
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. capital — a city
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — to eat
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. deal — a big deal

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