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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. file — a document
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kick — in football
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — to paddle
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. current — electric
  22. key — in music
  23. file — a tool
  24. row — a line

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