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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. row — to paddle
  3. toast — bread
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — happening now
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — electric
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. chip — to eat
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ground — a position
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. row — a line
  23. current — of water
  24. row — a quarrel

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