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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — of water
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — humankind
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — happening now
  9. cell — a phone
  10. current — electric
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — soda
  13. mate — to breed
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cell — in biology
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — completely
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pop — music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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