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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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. fork — in a road
  4. track — a song
  5. key — the most important part
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — a skill
  8. band — a music group
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a ring
  11. craft — boats
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. key — for a lock
  14. branch — a division
  15. track — to keep track
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. land — ground
  21. track — a path
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. chip — in a computer

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