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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
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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: game · cabinet · key · ground · fan · current · rock · spring

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. current — electric
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — of water
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ground — crushed
  14. game — a match
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rock — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. spring — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — the season
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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