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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bass — the fish
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. deal — to handle
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bass — low music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a match
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. game — wild animals
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bass — the instrument

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