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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a hint
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cap — a lid
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cue — a signal
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  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