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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pop — to visit
  6. band — a music group
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — the most important part
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — a tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. band — a ring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — for a bird
  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