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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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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — in music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — a series
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. file — a document
  23. scale — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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