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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. firm — steady
  4. current — electric
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chip — to eat
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. current — happening now
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — decided
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a ring
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. degree — an amount
  16. current — of water
  17. degree — from a university
  18. key — for a lock
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. firm — a company
  21. chip — for betting
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. degree — temperature

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