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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — happening now
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bank — of a river
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. current — electric
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — a match
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. hand — help
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — a line
  16. key — in music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hand — in cards
  20. drill — army training
  21. bank — for money
  22. key — for a lock
  23. mate — to breed
  24. current — of water

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