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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chip — for betting
  6. snap — to click
  7. track — a song
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — letters
  21. key — the most important part
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — a path
  24. spell — magic

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