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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. drill — army training
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — in music
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. current — electric
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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