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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — of water
  3. clip — to cut
  4. key — in music
  5. clip — a video
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. club — for golf
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cue — a signal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bat — the animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. club — a group
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. suit — to fit
  21. cue — a hint
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — for pool
  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