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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — of water
  4. key — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. chip — to eat
  11. shower — to wash
  12. craft — a skill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — boats
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — the most important part
  18. track — to keep track
  19. current — electric
  20. rash — hasty
  21. current — happening now
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. track — a song
  24. chip — for betting

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