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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · suit · chair · track · mate · fork · wake · fan

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — to keep track
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — a path
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. mate — to breed
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — in cards
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mate — a friend
  23. key — in music
  24. mate — a partner

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