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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. dip — to sink
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — for a lock
  6. present — there
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. court — of a king
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. court — of law
  13. current — electric
  14. cap — of ice
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — for sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cell — in biology
  20. current — of water
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — happening now
  23. cap — a lid
  24. present — the time now

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