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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. current — happening now
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. current — electric
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — of water
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. capital — money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — letters
  20. key — in music
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. swing — music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. capital — a city

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