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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — of water
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — electric
  10. board — to get on
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. key — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a committee
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. last — final
  24. mine — an explosive

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