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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pop — music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wake — a trail

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