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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. race — humankind
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — a contest
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. sharp — clever
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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