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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 120 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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. land — ground
  3. object — an aim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. land — to come down
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. game — a match
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — a country
  20. chip — for betting
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — a thing
  23. key — in music
  24. nail — on a finger

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