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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — the season
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — to get on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cue — a signal
  10. spring — of water
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a committee
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. key — for a lock
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bulb — for light

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