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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: kick · fork · chip · key · mouse · swing · hide · current

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — of water
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. key — in music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — to play on
  23. current — happening now
  24. hide — to keep secret

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