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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. key — the most important part
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. content — happy
  8. chip — for betting
  9. rest — a break
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. content — the amount
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — to eat
  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