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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — for light
  5. land — ground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. ground — the earth
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bound — obliged
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. land — to come down
  18. ground — a position
  19. key — in music
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. branch — a division
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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