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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a great time
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. key — in music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pass — a permit

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