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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — for a lock
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. current — of water
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — in music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — happening now
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chest — a box
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — low music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — a stone

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