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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ball — a dance
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. key — in music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. key — for a lock
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

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