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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  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. bat — in an idiom
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. object — to protest
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — in music
  13. band — a ring
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — a thing
  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