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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. band — a ring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chair — a leader
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — a permit
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. degree — from a university
  24. current — happening now

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