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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bank — of a river
  3. firm — steady
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — for a lock
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. key — in music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. kid — child
  11. drill — a practice
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — happening now
  15. bank — for money
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — decided
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bank — for money
  22. firm — a company
  23. drill — army training
  24. pitch — completely

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