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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the fish
  7. firm — steady
  8. key — in music
  9. firm — a company
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — of water
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — a series
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. current — happening now
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — decided
  23. current — electric
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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