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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mate — to breed
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. swing — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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