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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. key — for a lock
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — after costs
  13. key — the most important part
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. net — in sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. drill — army training
  19. game — wild animals
  20. key — in music
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — electric
  24. trunk — of a car

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