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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.

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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — magic
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — a signal
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — an aim
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — a thing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — in music

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