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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pit — a hole
  3. current — of water
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. key — for a lock
  11. drill — the tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — ground
  14. drill — a practice
  15. key — in music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. land — a country
  18. pit — in a race
  19. land — to come down
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — happening now
  22. drill — army training
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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