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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. key — for a lock
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. key — in music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chip — to eat
  16. field — a subject
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. fork — in a road

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