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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — army training
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chip — to eat
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — in a road
  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