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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitch — completely
  3. object — a thing
  4. key — in music
  5. present — a gift
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. last — final
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. last — finally
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — the time now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. present — there
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bark — to shout
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — for a lock
  24. object — to protest

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