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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 124 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a dance
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fork — in a road
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. shower — rain
  19. key — in music
  20. pit — in a race
  21. key — for a lock
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. key — the most important part

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