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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bass — the fish
  8. key — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — help
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fall — the season
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. key — the most important part
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — electric
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. fall — to drop

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