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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. rash — a series
  3. spring — of water
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fork — in a road
  6. current — happening now
  7. rash — hasty
  8. current — of water
  9. squash — to crush
  10. track — a path
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. key — in music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fine — all right
  17. key — the most important part
  18. current — electric
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. track — a song
  21. key — for a lock
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. track — to keep track

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