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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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Word bank
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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — for a lock
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. key — in music
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chip — to eat
  8. court — for sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. court — of a king
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. content — the amount
  17. rest — a break
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. content — happy
  20. key — the most important part
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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