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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. key — in music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — from a university
  17. cue — a hint
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. degree — temperature
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cold — an illness
  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