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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. key — for a lock
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. current — happening now
  6. pop — music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. current — electric
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pop — to visit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pop — soda
  19. wake — a trail
  20. firm — a company
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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