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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. key — for a lock
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — music
  6. present — there
  7. key — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. content — the amount
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a hole
  14. key — the most important part
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — the time now
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bulb — for light
  20. face — to confront
  21. present — a gift
  22. content — happy
  23. pit — in a race
  24. face — part of the head

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