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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bank — for money
  3. key — the most important part
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. degree — from a university
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — a law
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — electric
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rule — government
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. current — happening now
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — of water
  24. snap — to click

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