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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — for a lock
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — electric
  5. cue — for pool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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