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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — of water
  6. swing — to play on
  7. current — electric
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. chair — a leader
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — in music
  24. swing — in golf

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