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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rule — a law
  11. degree — from a university
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. degree — an amount
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — for light

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