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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. cue — a signal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lean — to bend
  17. chip — to eat
  18. spring — the season
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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