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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — for digging
  4. drill — the tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bass — low music
  14. key — in music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. squash — the sport

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