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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — final
  4. ground — crushed
  5. game — a match
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — of water
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. key — in music
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — electric
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fork — in a road
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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