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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. present — the time now
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — there
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — to bear
  7. track — a song
  8. current — of water
  9. cap — of ice
  10. track — to keep track
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cap — a lid
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. present — a gift
  21. current — electric
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — a path

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