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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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 — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bound — obliged
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. key — for a lock
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — to be able to
  23. game — a match
  24. key — in music

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