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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mark — a grade
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tear — from crying
  11. current — electric
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. game — wild animals
  15. current — happening now
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — the animal
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a match
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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