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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — a song
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. track — a path
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a great time
  8. key — for a lock
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — in music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. last — final
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chair — a leader
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. last — finally

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