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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — the season
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cue — a signal
  10. current — electric
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — a hint
  14. key — for a lock
  15. current — of water
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. key — the most important part
  21. march — music
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spring — a coil

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