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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. current — happening now
  9. cap — a hat
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — electric
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. row — a line
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. key — in music

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