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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
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: row · current · ball · mine · bay · hide · field · key

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — happening now
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — for sport
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. current — of water

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