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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. key — for a lock
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. present — the time now
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bass — low music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. present — there
  11. perch — the fish
  12. spring — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spring — of water
  15. present — a gift
  16. pit — a hole
  17. key — the most important part
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bass — the fish
  22. craft — boats
  23. key — in music
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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