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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. scale — in music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. key — in music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — for light
  23. roll — a list
  24. swing — in golf

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