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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rash — a series
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — clothes
  6. sharp — clever
  7. current — electric
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — to fit
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. key — in music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mark — a trace
  20. current — happening now
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — the most important part
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — exactly

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