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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: key · object · bay · mine · track · bowl · shower · current

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. key — the most important part
  3. current — of water
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. current — electric
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. track — a path
  12. key — in music
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. object — to protest
  15. key — for a lock
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. mine — for digging
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — a thing
  23. shower — rain
  24. mine — belonging to me

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