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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 124 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chip — to eat
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. key — in music
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — a tool
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. staff — a stick

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