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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. roll — a cake
  3. club — a group
  4. spring — of water
  5. key — for a lock
  6. club — for golf
  7. band — a music group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. roll — a list
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — in music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. pit — a hole
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. key — the most important part

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