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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. court — for sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — of law
  10. rush — hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bank — of a river
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bank — for money
  17. suit — to fit
  18. key — in music
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. chip — to eat

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