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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: current · tube · firm · ball · fall · cap · wound · key

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — in music
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. current — electric
  10. firm — steady
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a hat
  15. firm — decided
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. firm — a company
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — happening now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a dance
  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