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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — crushed
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. ground — a position
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. key — the most important part
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. spell — magic
  17. key — for a lock
  18. current — happening now
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. drill — a practice
  23. kick — in football
  24. key — in music

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