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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — to confront
  12. key — for a lock
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. key — in music
  17. file — a document
  18. face — to point toward

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