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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — a cake
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — soda
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — for light
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. shower — rain
  14. pop — to visit
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pop — music
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. roll — on a roll

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