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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 120 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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — electric
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — happening now
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — the most important part
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — of water
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — in music
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — a part of something

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