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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. current — of water
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. current — electric
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. current — happening now
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — to get on
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — a committee
  24. last — final

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