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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. suit — clothes
  6. object — an aim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — for sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. object — to protest
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — of a king
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. court — of law
  24. object — a thing

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