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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.

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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: key · march · snap · bat · safe · current · stem · pound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — electric
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pound — a weight
  8. key — in music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — the animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. current — of water
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. march — the month
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bat — for baseball

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