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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pop — to visit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a path
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a song
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — in music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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