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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 120 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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. chip — for betting
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. key — in music
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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