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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. current — happening now
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. face — to confront
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. face — part of the head
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mate — a friend
  18. face — to point toward
  19. current — electric
  20. key — in music
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — of water
  23. craft — boats
  24. mate — to breed

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