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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — the most important part
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. club — for dancing
  5. key — for a lock
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. season — in sport
  10. key — in music
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — of the year
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bass — the fish
  17. club — a group
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — electric
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — a thrill

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