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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — money
  6. key — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. capital — a city
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tear — to rip
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — for a lock
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tear — from crying
  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