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

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — of water
  4. season — of the year
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. board — to get on
  10. drill — army training
  11. season — in sport
  12. key — the most important part
  13. chip — to eat
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — electric
  16. chip — for betting
  17. current — happening now
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. shower — rain
  20. board — a committee
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a flat piece

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