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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: row · key · can · content · sharp · game · chip · plane

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — to eat
  11. plane — a tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. row — a line
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — to paddle
  17. content — the amount
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. content — happy
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. can — to be able to

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