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

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bound — obliged
  4. track — a path
  5. current — electric
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. track — a song
  8. key — in music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — certain
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bound — tied together

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