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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rock — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a dance
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — a match
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — a tool
  19. key — in music
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — what's left
  22. field — farmland
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. key — the most important part

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