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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — in music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hand — help
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mark — a trace
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. current — happening now
  16. key — for a lock
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — in cards

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