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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bound — certain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — tied together
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — in music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. staff — employees
  20. bound — obliged
  21. current — happening now
  22. toast — bread
  23. rash — on the skin
  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