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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kick — in football
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stock — goods
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chair — a leader
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. scale — in music
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — for a lock
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spring — of water
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stock — shares

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