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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — from a university
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — an amount
  8. squash — the sport
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. march — music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. degree — temperature
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bulb — for light
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — for light

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