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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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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 · ruler · fork · ground · bay · rest · land · key

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. land — to come down
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rest — a break
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — for betting
  8. land — ground
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rest — what's left
  11. key — in music
  12. chip — to eat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ground — a position
  24. fork — a garden tool

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