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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — the most important part
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. key — in music
  5. scale — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. row — a line
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. present — the time now
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. row — to paddle
  20. squash — the sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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