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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: land · mug · pitcher · chip · fork · nail · pop · key

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — soda
  5. fork — in a road
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — a country
  9. key — for a lock
  10. land — ground
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. key — in music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mug — a face
  19. chip — for betting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. land — to come down
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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