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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. march — the month
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. key — in music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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