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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pound — a weight
  8. last — to go on
  9. spring — of water
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. last — final
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. fork — in a road
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. last — finally
  23. spring — a coil
  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