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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. key — the most important part
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. current — of water
  12. bat — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — hasty
  16. current — electric
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — in music
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — a series
  24. patient — a sick person

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