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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. key — for a lock
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fork — in a road
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. club — a group
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. key — in music

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