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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · season · wind · pitcher · dip · file · craft · current

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. key — in music
  3. current — happening now
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. file — a document
  12. season — of the year
  13. key — for a lock
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. current — electric
  18. craft — boats
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — of water
  22. wind — moving air
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitcher — a jug

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