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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. toast — bread
  6. last — finally
  7. spring — a coil
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — a container
  11. last — to go on
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spring — of water
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spring — the season
  19. current — happening now
  20. last — final
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. key — the most important part
  24. toast — the most admired

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