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

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. craft — a skill
  6. key — the most important part
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. chip — for betting
  9. key — in music
  10. craft — boats
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fan — a supporter

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