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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. drill — a practice
  3. key — in music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. rock — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. can — a tin
  10. drill — army training
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — a subject
  14. key — the most important part
  15. drill — the tool
  16. court — of law
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. court — for sport
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. key — for a lock
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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