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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. drill — army training
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — the most important part
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. net — in sport
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. drill — a practice
  22. key — for a lock
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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