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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — a division
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stand — to bear
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. current — of water
  14. rash — hasty
  15. key — in music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. saw — the tool
  24. current — electric

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