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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rule — government
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fall — the season
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. drill — the tool
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. drill — army training
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — to drop
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rule — a law
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fall — to drop

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