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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. net — after costs
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. net — for catching
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. key — the most important part
  20. current — electric
  21. bat — the animal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. band — a music group
  24. net — in sport

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