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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — to wash
  10. race — humankind
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — the most important part
  15. can — to be able to
  16. key — in music
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — completely
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bulb — of a plant

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