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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fine — all right
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — high quality
  12. current — happening now
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — of water
  15. shower — rain
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — to wash
  19. key — the most important part
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — in music

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