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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. current — electric
  3. scale — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stand — to bear
  6. charge — a price
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — happening now
  9. charge — electricity
  10. current — of water
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. band — a music group
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rash — hasty
  23. band — a ring
  24. dip — a sauce

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