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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — in music
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. sharp — clever
  11. key — for a lock
  12. clip — for paper
  13. object — to protest
  14. clip — to cut
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — of the year
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  24. clip — a video

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