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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · current · key · kid · pit · plane · lean · swing

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. key — the most important part
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. swing — to play on
  10. current — electric
  11. lean — thin
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — to bend
  14. kid — child
  15. key — in music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kid — to tease
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — of water
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. swing — 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