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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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. mine — for digging
  5. current — electric
  6. bark — to shout
  7. object — to protest
  8. march — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — in music
  18. object — an aim
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — a thing
  21. march — the month
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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