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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mate — a partner
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. can — to be able to
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — for a lock
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. key — in music

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