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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a document
  3. suit — in cards
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hand — in cards
  11. march — the month
  12. ground — the earth
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — to come from
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. march — music
  21. hand — help
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — clothes

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