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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · sharp · bowl · stick · rock · key · bulb · date

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to click
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. date — the fruit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. sharp — clever
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rock — music
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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