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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — the most important part
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. key — in music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — in sport
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — electric
  18. net — after costs
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. current — of water
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rest — a break
  23. rule — government
  24. net — for catching

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