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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. root — of a word
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — in music
  9. current — electric
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. current — happening now
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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