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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. fine — high quality
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. key — the most important part
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. patient — a sick person
  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