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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. band — a ring
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. root — the cause
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. object — an aim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pit — a hole
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a word
  17. current — electric
  18. band — a music group
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — for a lock
  24. plane — an aircraft

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