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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. chip — for betting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — in music
  6. pop — soda
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chip — to eat
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pop — music
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. land — a country
  18. ground — a position
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. ground — the earth
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. key — for a lock

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