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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spell — a short time
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mine — for digging
  12. key — in music
  13. capital — a city
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. capital — money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spell — magic
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. current — happening now
  22. scale — in music
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. dip — a sauce

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