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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. roll — a list
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — the most important part
  9. staff — employees
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — in music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wound — an injury
  19. roll — a cake
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. roll — on a roll

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