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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. spring — the season
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chip — to eat
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spring — of water
  8. club — for golf
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. club — a group
  13. key — in music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pound — a weight
  17. prune — to trim
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. prune — to trim
  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