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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — to push
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — a group
  12. spell — letters
  13. board — a committee
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. key — for a lock
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — in music
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — a short time

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