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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — clever
  5. court — of law
  6. rule — government
  7. key — in music
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — electric
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — of water
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. current — happening now
  16. court — for sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — a law
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. court — of a king

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