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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. key — the most important part
  3. current — electric
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — in music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. board — to get on
  18. bowl — a dish

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