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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — happening now
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — of water
  15. scale — in music
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — size or range
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. foot — the bottom

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