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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — in a road
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. board — a committee
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. bank — of a river
  15. clip — to cut
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — the earth
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — to handle
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ground — a position
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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