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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. key — the most important part
  3. spell — letters
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spell — magic
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lie — to recline
  17. key — in music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — a division
  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