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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. key — for a lock
  3. club — for golf
  4. saw — the tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chip — for betting
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — in music
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. plane — a tool
  22. club — a group
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — in music

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