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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. clip — for paper
  3. key — in music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. clip — a video
  8. current — of water
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. scale — in music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. key — for a lock
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. current — happening now
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. root — of a plant
  24. current — electric

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