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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. key — in music
  4. net — after costs
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rash — a series
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. current — electric
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. current — of water
  21. net — in sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. current — happening now

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