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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. cue — a hint
  4. key — in music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — all right
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. current — electric
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cue — for pool
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. fine — a penalty

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