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

Word bank: key · suit · chip · present · drill · lash · fork · club

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chip — to eat
  4. key — for a lock
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — there
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — in a road
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. club — a group
  17. suit — to fit
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. present — the time now
  21. club — for golf
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. suit — clothes
  24. club — for dancing

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