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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — the most important part
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a hint
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hand — help
  12. key — in music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — in cards
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cue — a signal

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