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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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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: key · pass · current · land · racket · mine · stand · scale

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. current — of water
  3. land — ground
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. key — for a lock
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. key — in music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — a country
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. scale — size or range
  17. land — to come down
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. current — electric
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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