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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rest — a break
  9. ground — crushed
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hand — help
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — in cards
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — in music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — to get on
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rest — what's left

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