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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. key — for a lock
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. clip — a video
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. key — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chip — for betting
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fork — in a road
  13. clip — for paper
  14. key — the most important part
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. dip — a sauce

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