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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — a division
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — to eat
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. key — in music
  13. fine — all right
  14. fall — to drop
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chip — for betting
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — the season

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