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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a music group
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — for a lock
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — to fit
  12. spring — of water
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spring — the season
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a ring
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rest — a break
  22. key — in music
  23. root — of a plant
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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