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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — electric
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. content — happy
  7. last — final
  8. key — in music
  9. current — of water
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — size or range
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — finally
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — happening now
  23. scale — in music
  24. coach — a trainer

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