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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — to wash
  3. key — in music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. firm — steady
  6. shower — rain
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — to trim
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — decided
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. firm — a company
  22. game — a match
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — for light

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