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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — for a lock
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — for sport
  9. chip — for betting
  10. march — the month
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — letters
  13. key — in music
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — of a river
  17. court — of law
  18. spell — magic
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of a king
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spell — a short time
  23. march — music
  24. current — happening now

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