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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bass — low music
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. race — humankind
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pit — in a race
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. kid — child
  19. pit — a hole
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. race — a contest

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