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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. key — in music
  4. shower — rain
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — tied together
  7. shower — to wash
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — certain
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — a gift
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — for betting
  16. staff — a stick
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bound — obliged

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