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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — to protest
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. object — an aim
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — all right
  21. capital — money
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — a thing

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