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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chest — of your body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. field — farmland
  13. firm — a company
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chest — a box
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — of your body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — steady
  24. nail — for a hammer

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