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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — for a lock
  4. land — ground
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chip — for betting
  12. land — a country
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. land — to come down
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bowl — a dish

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