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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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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: chip · row · key · hand · fork · temple · fine · object

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hand — help
  3. object — a thing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. object — to protest
  6. key — the most important part
  7. row — to paddle
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — to eat
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — all right
  17. object — an aim
  18. key — in music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chip — for betting
  24. row — a line

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