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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — the most important part
  3. march — the month
  4. key — for a lock
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a lid
  7. firm — decided
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — a hat
  11. key — in music
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — a company
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a dish

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