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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: bore · track · fan · current · chair · bulb · key · bat

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — electric
  7. track — a path
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — the animal
  12. track — a song
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. key — in music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — of water
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bulb — for light

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