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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cold — an illness
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. suit — in cards
  24. key — in music

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