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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. key — in music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — for sport
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. net — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — of law

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