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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. key — the most important part
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — a stick
  14. file — a tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a line of people
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. club — a group
  20. file — a document
  21. game — a match
  22. key — in music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. staff — employees

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