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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — a gift
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — there
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. club — a group
  18. present — the time now
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. club — for golf
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. board — to get on

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