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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. key — the most important part
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rule — a law
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spring — the season
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — boats
  16. bulb — for light
  17. firm — steady
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spring — a coil
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rule — government
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — of water

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