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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: rash · march · current · key · suit · clip · ball · bear

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — to cut
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. key — in music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. march — music
  15. current — of water
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — a video
  20. current — electric
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rash — hasty
  23. march — the month
  24. key — the most important part

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