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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: key · craft · mine · staff · fine · chip · march · last

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — final
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. craft — boats
  8. last — finally
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. key — the most important part
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. fine — high quality
  17. last — to go on
  18. key — in music
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fine — all right
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — for a lock
  24. craft — a handicraft

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