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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 124 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — to confront
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — part of the head
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. present — a gift
  15. field — a subject
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. field — farmland
  18. present — there
  19. key — in music
  20. field — for sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. face — to point toward
  24. race — humankind

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