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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a line
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — the season
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. key — the most important part

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