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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pit — a hole
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — crushed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — a position
  17. swing — music
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. cell — a phone
  21. swing — in golf
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bulb — of a plant

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