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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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bound — certain
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. swing — music
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. craft — boats
  13. current — electric
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — obliged
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. swing — to play on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. current — happening now
  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