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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. board — a committee
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — help
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — in music
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. scale — in music
  24. rush — a thrill

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