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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. key — in music
  3. present — there
  4. band — a ring
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — electric
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — happening now
  16. row — to paddle
  17. current — of water
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a line

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