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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cue — for pool
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cue — a hint

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