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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. key — in music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chip — for betting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. shower — rain
  15. spring — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. key — the most important part
  22. spring — a coil
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — of water

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