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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: mug · roll · toast · spring · field · key · last · current

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. key — the most important part
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. roll — a list
  5. mug — to rob
  6. key — in music
  7. field — for sport
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. last — to go on
  10. field — farmland
  11. key — for a lock
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. toast — bread
  14. last — final
  15. current — electric
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. current — of water
  19. last — finally
  20. roll — a cake
  21. current — happening now
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. field — a subject

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