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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — a coil
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — in music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mark — a trace

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