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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — soda
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — in music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. branch — a division
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a list

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