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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. file — a document
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fine — all right
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bulb — for light
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ground — a position

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