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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. current — of water
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. can — to be able to
  7. track — a song
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. current — electric
  14. pound — a weight
  15. land — ground
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mark — a trace
  22. track — a path
  23. key — for a lock
  24. current — happening now

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