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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — a short time
  3. key — in music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. spell — magic
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — for catching
  16. pit — in a race
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cell — a phone
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. net — in sport
  22. pit — a hole
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — letters

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