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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. key — for a lock
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — the most important part
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — to bear
  18. key — in music
  19. spring — of water
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mine — belonging to me

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