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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. land — to come down
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — clever
  9. key — in music
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fork — in a road
  13. game — wild animals
  14. key — the most important part
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — a country
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. land — ground
  24. game — a kind of play

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