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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.

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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. ground — a position
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — to handle
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. current — of water
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. current — electric
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. nail — for a hammer

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