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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. land — a country
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wind — moving air
  5. current — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — help
  9. land — to come down
  10. club — for dancing
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. land — ground
  19. club — for golf
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. club — a group
  24. hand — in cards

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