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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · nail · cap · rest · mine · current · ground · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rest — what's left
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ground — the earth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. current — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ground — a position
  22. key — the most important part
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — for a lock

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