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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. key — in music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. land — a country
  9. key — the most important part
  10. degree — temperature
  11. land — ground
  12. mate — to breed
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. present — a gift
  17. degree — an amount
  18. present — there
  19. chip — to eat
  20. land — to come down
  21. chip — for betting
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fork — to eat with

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