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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. clip — for paper
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. land — to come down
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — ground
  14. clip — a video
  15. board — a committee
  16. scale — size or range
  17. race — the arms race
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. race — humankind
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. clip — to cut
  22. scale — in music
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. board — a flat piece

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