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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. object — a thing
  7. last — final
  8. current — of water
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. march — the month
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. march — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. march — the month
  16. object — to protest
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. object — an aim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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