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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pass — a permit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. current — of water
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. current — happening now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — the most important part
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. current — electric
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bark — to shout
  24. key — in music

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