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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. key — in music
  3. net — for catching
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — to visit
  8. key — the most important part
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pop — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. current — electric
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — happening now
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. clip — to cut
  18. current — of water
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — a break
  21. clip — a video
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. date — the fruit

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