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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — electric
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. current — happening now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — clever
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. key — in music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. firm — decided
  18. land — ground
  19. key — for a lock
  20. club — for golf
  21. land — to come down
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — a group
  24. land — a country

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