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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. key — the most important part
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. current — happening now
  5. suit — to fit
  6. object — to protest
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — electric
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. current — of water
  15. key — for a lock
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. key — in music
  19. content — happy
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. file — a tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. suit — clothes
  24. file — a document

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