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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. charge — a price
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. charge — in control
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. row — a line
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rock — music
  23. row — to paddle
  24. cell — a phone

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