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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. degree — an amount
  4. club — a group
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — for a lock
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. lean — to bend
  19. club — for dancing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. degree — from a university

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