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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. current — happening now
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. object — to protest
  6. bore — to tire
  7. current — of water
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. current — electric
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. object — an aim
  16. key — in music
  17. rule — a law
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rule — government
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — a thing
  24. key — for a lock

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