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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.

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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wake — a trail
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — for a lock
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — the season
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — hasty
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fork — to eat with

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