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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — in music
  5. last — finally
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. can — to be able to
  9. last — to go on
  10. cap — of ice
  11. can — a tin
  12. tear — from crying
  13. march — music
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. march — the month
  18. last — final
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — to eat
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cap — a hat
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. march — the month

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