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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 124 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. current — of water
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bass — low music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. current — electric
  24. fan — to cool the air

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