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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. current — of water
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — electric
  18. key — for a lock
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. key — in music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — happening now
  24. bear — the animal

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