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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.

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: season · bear · mark · bat · object · key · racket · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. current — happening now
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. key — in music
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — to protest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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