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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — a law
  6. roll — a list
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rule — government
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. court — of law
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. court — of a king
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. court — for sport

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