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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pop — music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. key — in music
  18. current — of water
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. key — for a lock

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