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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — to tease
  5. charge — a price
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. key — in music
  8. object — an aim
  9. land — a country
  10. object — to protest
  11. kid — child
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. object — a thing
  23. land — to come down
  24. key — for a lock

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