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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: present · chair · key · plane · mouse · toast · chip · fork

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. present — a gift
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. key — in music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chair — a leader
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — the time now
  14. chip — for betting
  15. toast — bread
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. present — there
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fork — in a road

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