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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fork — in a road
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. key — in music
  10. current — happening now
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. current — of water
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — in a race
  17. row — a line
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. chip — for betting
  21. march — the month
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — music
  24. face — to point toward

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