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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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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: row · mate · toast · stand · cap · key · current · rest

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — a friend
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a partner
  13. key — for a lock
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. key — in music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rest — a break
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stand — to bear

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