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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — for a lock
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — clothes
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — to fit
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pitch — completely
  17. roll — a cake
  18. key — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — the most important part
  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