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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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. date — on the calendar
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spring — the season
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. date — the fruit
  9. key — in music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — to eat
  18. current — of water
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. trunk — of a car

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