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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. key — for a lock
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. swing — to play on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — to go on
  9. swing — music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — electric
  16. swing — in golf
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — of water
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — finally
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kid — child
  24. last — final

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