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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. net — for catching
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cell — a phone
  21. net — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chip — for betting
  24. key — the most important part

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