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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. key — the most important part
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — music
  5. craft — boats
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. key — in music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — thin
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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