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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — music
  3. drill — army training
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. current — electric
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. drill — the tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — the animal

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