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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. last — to go on
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — a lid
  13. last — final
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. scale — in music
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tear — from crying

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