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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. current — electric
  10. key — for a lock
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — to tire
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a document
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. current — happening now
  21. bore — to drill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — gave birth

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