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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — decided
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. firm — steady
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. key — in music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — to breed
  22. firm — a company
  23. board — a committee
  24. degree — from a university

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